


Sour Notes (The Lullaby Remix)

by Delphi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Babies, Babysitting, Family, Gen, Lullabies, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-30
Updated: 2011-04-30
Packaged: 2017-10-18 20:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delphi/pseuds/Delphi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which "The Willow Tree" is sung and no one is impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sour Notes (The Lullaby Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [littledust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/gifts).
  * Inspired by [sour notes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/181490) by [littledust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/pseuds/littledust). 



The baby squalls in his arms, red-faced and frustrated with the world as only one who is sixteen pounds and speechless can be.

Iroh dandles his nephew and looks around helplessly in search of Ursa. He was stationed abroad for Lu Ten's infancy and is newly arrived home for Zuko's. The ways of six-month children are new to him.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

The scent of milk on the baby's breath says no.

"Are you wet?" he asks.

A check of a diaper says no.

"Too hot? Too cold?"

The baby cannot reply.

"Shh," he says. "Hush."

Little Zuko only screeches more loudly, back arching and tiny fists flailing. So much fire in one little form, he thinks, touching a noble little brow and a plump, tear-stained cheek.

A rusty hum rattles in his throat. Then he sings, soothingly but slightly off-key, "Under the willow tree, my beloved waits for me..."

The squalling stops abruptly, and the baby peers up at him with a look of complete and utter disdain.

"Everyone's a critic," Iroh mutters, pulling a rueful face.

And to his great surprise, he hears his little nephew laugh and clap his hands for the very first time.


End file.
